Italy-France: EU resources for Med must be up to par

Terzi and Fabius, harmony of views on Syria, UN Palestine vote

(ANSAmed) - ROME, DECEMBER 21 - Relations between Italy and
France are ''excellent'' once more, their respective diplomatic
corps can consider themselves satisfied over their ''tight-knit
and constructive'' liaisons over the past six months, and based
on the strength of this accord they can take on European and
crisis-related challenges, as well as their southern
Mediterranean neighbors, the foreign ministers of both countries
told a conference of Italian ambassadors at the Farnesina Palace
on Friday.

As far as the EU 2014-2020 budget, France and Italy are
committed to making sure ''the endowment of resources in both
quantitative and qualitative terms lives up to the importance of
the Mediterranean within the Union,'' said Italian Foreign
Minister Giulio Terzi. ''Italy and France agree on the need to
re-implement neighborhood policies with third countries,
beginning with the southern shore of the Mediterranean. A lot of
expectations have been placed on these countries' capacity to
consolidate their young democracies and to cooperate with the EU
in fighting terrorism and illegal immigration more
efficiently.''
The EU, said Terzi, must actively support those countries in
fulfilling those expectations.
''As part of our joint effort, we reached an agreement within
the framework of the Mediterranean Reflection Group, which
allowed us to identify strategic initiatives that can be
entrusted with the ambitious task of pursuing Euro-Mediterranean
global partnership,'' Terzi explained, pointing to the Union for
the Mediterranean (UfM), which France supported, as a successful
example of multilateral partnership.

Focusing on the Syrian civil war, French Foreign Minister
Laurent Fabius told the ambassadors that ''the end of the regime
is in sight, and the opposition must prepare to rule.''
The umbrella National Opposition Front recently constituted
in Qatar is the ''legitimate representative'' of the Syrian
people, and must be supported as ''the sole bastion against
chaos and extremism,'' Fabius said, adding that policies to
isolate and sanction Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his
ruling clan must continue, as must ''the humanitarian
mobilization'' in aid of civilians and refugees.

Fabius also pointed to a bilateral harmony of views on the UN
vote on Palestine. ''It is not an end in itself, but a step on
the road to two states co-existing in peace and security,'' the
French minister said. ''Negotiations must resume, without
preconditions and as soon as possible.''
France and Italy also agree on the issue of Iran's nuclear
program, which is of ''great concern,'' Fabius said. ''Tehran
has the right to a civilian nuclear program, but possession of
nuclear weapons, which risks destabilizing the entire region, is
unacceptable.''
The French minister went on to discuss yesterday's UN
Security Council resolution authorizing international military
intervention alongside national troops in northern Mali, which
has been taken over by terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda
in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
''Narcoterrorism is an extremely serious threat, which comes
very close to home,'' touching Europe as well as Mali's African
neighbors, Fabius warned, adding that one way to defuse that
situation is by ''favoring north-south negotiations, under the
leadership of the African Union and the EU.'' (ANSAmed).